Sponsored and Authority: Rainbow and Network are raging, and at the same time presenting demands

Last week, the second authority imposed ridiculous fines on commercial channels that exceeded the amount of sponsored sponsorships.

This is a lip service, which all parties benefit from.

At the same time, the directors of Keshet and Reshet immigrate to Minister Handel's office with a new request

David Wertheim and Elad Mann

20/02/2022

Sunday, 20 February 2022, 12:07 Updated: 12:39

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The Authority did not elaborate in its announcement nor following Walla!

Brenze how the fines were calculated and how many exceptional events they relate to.

It was also not stated what the payment was attributed to each violation and whether there was such a division at all

On Tuesday evening, the second authority that decided to impose the Keshet network announced various financial sanctions for the violation of the provisions of the rules of the Second Authority for Television and Radio (sponsorship of television programs), 2009. The title of the statement sent to the press "The second authority's announcement on enforcement, in fact, revealed the nature of the criticism of the authority precisely in the areas of enforcement and regulation. The effectiveness of this enforcement tool, in the way it is currently implemented by the Authority.

The Authority did not elaborate in its announcement nor following Walla!

Brenze in this matter how the fines were calculated and how many exceptional events they relate to.

It was also not stated what the payment was attributed to each violation and whether there was such a division at all, or whether the sanctions were set in relation to the total violations.

What is clear is that such small sums do not deter anyone and may even constitute a lip service of enforcement tax, from which all parties benefit.

Supervisors have the opportunity to whine about the fine itself and the authority for its part can point to enforcement measures it has taken.

The sad truth is that the main losers from the situation that have arisen are television viewers, whose rule that comes to protect them as consumers of broadcast time, is violated without any effective action that can prevent it.

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Avi Nir and Avi Ben Tal.

Fines separately and separate requirements (Photo: image processing, Jeff Kravitz, HBO, Yanai Yechiel)

It is not clear what the justification for this extension is at a time when the channels themselves boast high profitability and the fact that the revenue from sponsorships is not the heart and focus of their business activity.

The Authority does explain that this is the first step in a series of measures that will increase enforcement and tighten the amounts that will be imposed on violators of the rules in the future.

It is possible that if this was the case, it would have been necessary to explain this better and in more detail in the Authority's announcement and give examples, also for the benefit of the supervisors, of what the price of the violation is likely to be in the future.

The rules, which were amended in mid-2021 in a temporary order that was supposed to expire on 15.2.2022 and extended by the council for another two months meanwhile stipulate that the duration of a sponsorship notice should not exceed 10 seconds and the maximum broadcast time that can be allocated to sponsorships at any time is 54 seconds.

Despite this limitation, the channels were relieved between 20:00 and 24:00. Sponsored message transmission time can be allocated at the channel's discretion, provided that the total time of sponsored messages during these hours does not exceed 3 minutes and 36 seconds.

The amendment that has been transferred and has now been extended stipulates that between 20:00 and 24:00, transmission time can be allocated for sponsorship messages, as long as the total duration of the sponsorship messages during these hours does not exceed 18 minutes.

Of course this is a significant extension of more than five times the allotted time.

It is not clear what the justification for this extension is at a time when the channels themselves boast high profitability and the fact that the revenue from sponsorships is not the heart and focus of their business activity (although they put in much more than the meager sanctions imposed on them).

Second Authority Chairman Eden Bar Tal (Photo: Uri Lenz)

A mistake that will actually limit the authority

It is possible that the very participation in this regulatory game, of a low fine that is being fought vigorously against, constitutes a kind of protection from the exercise of more significant punishment in the future and sets a low standard of enforcement

By the way, of course the channels have a right and possibility to obtain on these sanctions.

They have acted in this way in the past and appealed to the PA's appeal committees and also to the courts, in an attempt to eliminate or reduce these violations.

But beyond the claim that these are insignificant sums, it is possible that the very participation in this regulatory game, of a low fine that is being vigorously fought against, constitutes a form of protection from the exercise of more significant punishment in the future and sets a low standard of enforcement.

The authority whose decisions are measured and examined in the light of administrative law, limited in its maneuverability and validity of these decisions even in the lightest cases, can turn out to be a step that would impair the possibility of aggravating the punishment.

Therefore, the argument for the gradual aggravation made by officials in the PA can turn out to be a mistake that will actually limit the PA itself.

The authority claims that the imposition of financial sanctions is part of a wide circle of regulatory work in front of supervised bodies and as a direct continuation of the recent approval of television advertising content rules, but in practice, what is evident is the rampage of on-screen channels in various commercial aspects.

Minister of Communications Yoaz Handel (Photo: Official Website, 103)

The players concentrate forces

And in the meantime, to Walla!

Brenze learned that last Thursday a meeting was held between Minister Yoaz Handel, Keshet 12 CEO Avi Nir and 13 Network CEO Avi Ben Tal.

The three discussed what they define as "injustices that the Folkman report creates for the commercial and tiny channels in favor of Hot Weiss." The channels say that abolishing the broadcasting obligation without producing an effective solution for channels provided to the public for free will cause a great deal

of controversy .

Possible harm to them, the day after.

The network chose not to comment.

No response has yet been received from Keshet.

On behalf of the Office of Communications Minister Yoaz Handel, it was stated: "As part of shaping the economic model in the broadcasting reform currently being formulated in the Ministry of Communications, the Minister met with market stakeholders."

• Brenze

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• Rainbow

• Network

• Joaz Handel